Cut-off valve



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. O. R. JAMES.

GUT-OFF VALVE.

No. 425,176. Patented Apr. 8. 1890.

WITNESSES VEIV TOR Q 6 (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet' 2.

0. R. JAMES.

GUT-OFF VALVE.

No. 425,176. Patented Apr. 8, I890;

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT i CHRISTOPHER R. JAMES, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

CUT-OFF VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,176, dated April 8,1890.

Application filed February 12, 1889. Serial No. 299,682. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER RETAL LICK JAMES, a subject of the Queenof Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Jersey City, in thecounty of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Variable Cut-Off Valves, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to introduce certain improvements inautomatic variable drop cut-off appliances for regulating the supply ofsteam to engine-cylinders, and also improvements in the means ofexhausting from the same, whereby considerable saving will be effectedin the cost of construction and also in the running expenses of theengines to which they are applied.

Hitherto cut off attachments have been made to act through the influenceof the governor upon the eccentrics and inlet-valves in such a mannerthat any undue wear of the parts causes an alteration in the initialsupply of steam, and the ports have generally been placed atunnecessarily long distances from the inlet and outlet valves,respectively, which is attended with more or less loss on that account.These defects my improvements are designed to remedy.

The novel features of my invention consist in the improved contrivancesof separate and distinct mechanism for controlling the admission of thelive steamthrough cut-off appliances, in the first place, and appliancesfor afterward admitting it to and exhausting from the cylinder, bothacting in unison with the engine, but quite independently of each other.

Having thus stated the character of my improvements, I will now proceedto describe the mode of application by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like letters refer to the same parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation with the steamchest cover removed, mainlyrepresenting the cut-off devices, but also showing some of the apparatusfor controlling the inlet and exhaust. Fig. 2 isa transverse sectionthrough one of the cut-off valves. Fig. 8 is a horizon.-

tal section showing the position of the cylindrical cut-oft valves inthe steam-chest and the mode of admitting steam to the cylinder.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the cutoff valves in sectionalelevation on line w 0: of Fig. 6, together with devices illustrating themanner of operating the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectionof the steamchest and part of the cylinder, side view of the cut-offvalve, and end view of the inlet and exhaust slide-valve, and showingopenings through which the steam enters the cutoff valve; Fig. 6, ahorizontal section on line y 3 Figs. at and 5. Fig.7 is a detail intransverse section through the steam-chest and exhaust-cavity of theinlet and exhaust valve.

G G are the cylindrical cut-oft valve-casings situated in thesteam-chest E, which extends the whole length of the cylinder andincludes the ports atboth ends. These valvecasings are open at the topand bottom, and also in the center, as shown, so as to give ample areafor the steam to be admitted. Each casing is composed of two rings cast011 a face, which comes in contact with the back of the slide-valve P.(See Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6.) These casings are held in position by therod p and the set-screws L N. The pressure of the steam keeps them up tothe slide-valve P. They have ports-2, admitting steam to theslide-valve, and a groove 1 around the inside of each ring of thevalve-casing and connecting with the ports 2, which balances the valvesas to the back-pressure of the steam when out off, and thus preventsundue friction.

The cut-oft valves consist of duplex skeleton ring-pistons I I, fittedto slide in the casin'gs G G, respectively. Their stems a pass throughpacking-glands h, and have the cutoff lifters O, firmly fixed thereto bymeansof set-screws 3, or it may be by keys or other suitable means. Theyare guided by setscrews 3, working in slots 11 in standards Q. Thevalves are raised and opened by the rocking beam U, and the liftingpawls R, acting on the lifters C, said beam being connected to theecc'entricrod J and arm 4 by rods T and S, and said valves drop andclose by gravity. They are balanced as to the live steam by thecirculating of the same through the rings.

B represents cut-off slides free to move on thevalve-stems a,butundercontrolof the govmnor 'W, being connected therewith by rod I,.arms in and e, and shaft X, said arms m being connected to slides B atO, suitably to actuate them in right lines. The shat't X is supported insuitable bearings Z Z. The pawls R are moved upward and open the cutoifvalves in unison with or prior to the opening of ports 5 by theslide-valve independently ot' the governor. The slide-valve 1.,attachedto eccentrica'od at f, and controlling the inlet of the steam to andexhaust from the cylinder A, is of novel construction, being madesutiiciently long to control both the ports 5, located at the extremeends of the cylinder. It is made with live-steam passages 7 foradmission of steam, and also with suitable exhaust-openings 6, wherebythe exhauststcam can be conducted away to the exhaustport 8 through thesame directly from the ends of the cylinder. This arrangement affordsfacilities for working with as little clearance as possible, andsimplifies the cylinder construction.

Having now generally described the different parts of my invention andthe portions of the engine to which they are affixed, as shown in theaccompanying drawings, I will proceed to describe what takes place whenthe engine is in motion. Suppose a portion of the load to be taken oilthe engine, then the natural tendency will be to accelerate the speed;but such acceleration causes the governor-balls to be thrown out fartherby reason of the increased centrifugal force exerted, by which means therod 25 is depressed, and, as will be seen, such action will lower thecutoff slides 13, because these slides are free to move on thevalve-stems a and advance the inclined surfaces relatively to the pawlsR; therefore the latter will be thrown olf the lifters at an earlierpart of the stroke, and consequently the quantity of steam admitted willbe reduced, for the reason that when the hollow piston-valves I I aredown both ports in the cut-off cylinder are covered by their respectiverings, and thus prevent any more steam from entering until they areagain lifted. The cut-off cylinders G G are situated in the steam-chestE, and through these all the steam is supplied to the engine in thedirection of the arrows, Figs. i and 5. The quantity of steam suppliedis thus governed by these cut-ofl valves; but the time of entering andexhausting from the cylinder is controlled by the slide-valve P only. Bythis improved cut-off I insure the uniform initial cntryand exhaust aswell as of the steam, no matter at what speed the engine may betraveling nor whatmay be the point of cutting oil, for the reason thatthe governor has nothing to do with the times of admitting steam to thecylinder and exhausting the same, but only with the quantity soadmitted.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the slide-valve, of

the drop out-oil valves in stationary cases, along which the slide-valvemoves, and connected with the eccentric through the lift and dropmechanism automatically variable as to the dropping by the governor,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the slide-valve directly connected with theeccentric-rod, of the drop cut-off valves in stationary eases alongwhich the slide-valve moves, and connected with the said eccentricthrough the llft and drop mechanism, automatically variable as to thedropping by the governor, substantially as described.

The combination, with the slide-valve directly connected with theeccentric-rod, of the drop cut-oil valves in stationary cases alongwhich the slide-valve moves, the rocking beam, and lifters also directlyconnected with the eccentri c-rod, and the lifter-tri ppin g slid cs,automatically variable by the governor, substantiall y as described.

it. The combination, with the drop cut-off valves in stationary casesalong which the slide-valve moves, of the rocking beam and liftersconnected with the eccentric-rod, and the lifter-tripping slides on thevalve-stems connected with the governor through the arms, rock-shaft,and rods, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the steam-chest and slide-valve, including thecylinder-ports at both ends of the cylinder, and the slidevalvc, havinglive-steam passages to the cylinder-ports, of the balanced piston dropcutoff valves in stationary cases seated on the slide-valve in thesteam-chest coincident with said passages, respectively, substantiallyas described.

(3. The combination, with the steam-chest and slide-valve, including thecylinder-ports at both ends of the cylinder, and the slidevalve, havinglive-steam passages to the cylinder-ports and exhaust-passagesalternately connecting both cylinder-ports with the individualexhaust-port, of the balanced piston drop eut-ott valves seated on theslide-valve, coincident with said live-steam passages, respectively,substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the steam-chest and slide-valve, including thecylinder-ports at both ends of the cylinder, and the slidevalve, havingthe live-steam passages to the cylinder-ports, of the balanced pistondrop cut-off valves, seated on. the slide-valve in the steam-chest,coincident with the live-steam passages, respectively, and having thecases coupled together and with the steam-chest by the connectingrod andad justing-screws, substantially as described.

8. The improved drop cut-oil valve, consisting of the combined verticalcylindrical case, having middle and end inlet-openings, bearing-face,and two outlet-passages through the bearing-face, and the duplexring-pistons, substantially as described.

9. The improved drop cut-oif valve, c0n- Signed at Jersey City, in thecounty of Hudsisting of the combined vertical cylindrical son and Stateof New Jersey, this 11th day case having middle and end inlet-openings,of February, A. D. 1889.

bearing-face,two outlet-passages through the CHRISTOPHER R; JAMES. 5bearing-face, and balancing-grooves coinci- Witnesses:

dent With the outlet-openings, and the du- VVM. R. LANE,

plex ring-pistons, substantially as described. THOMAS ROSE.-

